Alexandra Caccamo (Librarian, National Botanic Gardens) discusses a remarkable book of cyanotypes from the special collections of the National Botanic Gardens.

New Zealand Ferns. 148 Varieties by Herbert Dobbie

One of the first tasks I undertook when I started working in the National Botanic Gardens in 2007 was to review the open access collection. During this audit, I found a number of items that were later moved to the special collections. One of these items was a thin volume by Herbert Dobbie, entitled New Zealand Ferns. 148 Varieties (1880). It caught my eye, as it was an unusual book, consisting entirely of cyanotypes.

I had never come across a cyanotype book before so, I was quite excited to find Dobbie’s book on the shelves. Immediately I removed it for safekeeping to the more secure storage of the special collections and started to do some research, finding two articles on Dobbie written by John D. McCraw.

The Rare Books Group is delighted to announce that registration is now open for this year’s Annual Seminar, Curating Special Collections Exhibitions.

With many libraries now involved in producing physical and online exhibitions, this seminar aims to discuss the steps involved, opportunities for collaboration and education, and care of the collections themselves. It will feature speakers from a range of institutions engaged in exhibition-making including Anne Hodge, Curator of Prints and Drawings, National Gallery of Ireland; Susie Bioletti, Keeper of Preservation and Conservation, TCD; Lucy Collins, Assistant Professor, School of English, Drama & Film, and Evelyn Flanagan, Head of Special Collections, UCD.

The LAI RGB 2017 seminar with the theme of Bringing new audiences to special collections took place on Friday, 24 November 2017 in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. Patricia Moloney presents an overview of the day’s proceedings. Continue reading →

Sir Denis Mahon (1910-2011) was one of the foremost art historians and collectors of his generation. Born in London of Anglo-Irish descent, he studied at Eton and Oxford before embarking on a life of collecting, writing and campaigning for the arts. In 2010 Sir Denis presented his entire personal library and archive to the National Gallery of Ireland, a collection which represents decades of research and scholarship.

This year Library Ireland Week, organised by the Library Association of Ireland, took place between 28 November – 4 December. Sophie Evans, Assistant Librarian at the Royal Irish Academy, visited Maynooth University Library as part of the Library Staff Exchange Scheme. Here is Sophie’s account of the experience…

One of the many initiatives of Library Ireland Week is the Library Staff Exchange Scheme. The scheme promotes job swap schemes between libraries and is a great opportunity to experience how other libraries operate and learn about the services they provide. When Helen Fallon of Maynooth University Library approached the Royal Irish Academy Library with a view to participating I jumped at the chance. And so, on 14 November Barbara McCormack of the Russell Library spent the day with us at Academy House and in turn I made a trip to Maynooth on 23 November.

Regina W. Richardson, Subject Librarian for Music & Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Maynooth University Library, has written the following account of her experience at the RBG Workshop which took place at the Royal Irish Academy on Friday, 23rd September 2016.

This late September LAI Rare Books Group Workshop was a source of some lovely and striking images on screen as part of the presentations of the university libraries of Aberdeen, Manchester, and Maynooth. Even before the workshop began, those filling up with tea and coffee were treated to a cheering view of the Mansion House fountain surrounded by colourful flowers as seen through the window of the RIA venue. There was a huge amount of very inspiring, useful and illuminating information packed into a short span of time and most people will have come away with some new ways of considering their libraries’ collections and new possibilities for them.

Join us for a workshop on ‘The changing nature of Special Collections: Producer and user expectations’ on Friday, 23rd September at the Royal Irish Academy. The event, which is organised by the Rare Books Group in conjunction with the Career Development Group, runs from 11.00 am – 3.30 pm.

The focus of the workshop is on how special collections are changing both in Ireland and internationally. It will look at emerging trends and the expectations of leaders in special collections in terms of acquisition and human resources. The workshop will also offer an insight into future career possibilities and the expectations of special collections users.

Speakers on the day include Rachel Beckett, Associate Director, John Rylands Library and John Rylands Research Institute, University of Manchester, Siobhán Convery, Head of Special Libraries and Archives, University of Aberdeen (Archivist), and Hugh Murphy, Senior Librarian for Collection Management Services at Maynooth University Library.

A round table discussion will follow the presentations and will involve key experts including: Katherine McSharry, Head of Services, National Library of Ireland, Kalpana Shankar, Head of School, School of Information and Communication Studies, University College Dublin, and Marta Bustillo, Chair, Career Development Group, Library Association of Ireland.